Stage 1.
I was on my way to lead a Bible study which would be focusing on the church in Philadelphia described in Revelation 3 verses 7 to 13 when the Lord brought to my mind ‘the days of Noah and the days of Lot’. The Lord showed me that Noah and his family and Lot and his family represent two contrasting categories of Christians. Noah with the support of his family was engaged in constructing an ark designed by God, while Lot and his family were enduring a life of compromise and frustration in a wicked city.
Here are some of the characteristics of Noah as described in the Scriptures
- Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God. Genesis 6:9.
- He ‘did; according to all that God had commanded him, so he did’. Genesis 6:22.
- By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. Hebrews 11:7.
- Noah was a preacher of righteousness. 2 Peter 2:5.
Noah stood apart from the tide of evil all around him. He obeyed the voice of the Lord in building an ark of refuge from the coming judgment of God upon the whole earth. His family united with him to carry out the instructions given by God. They entered together into the protection of the ark and were preserved through the flood to emerge onto a restored earth.
The approval of God over the completed work of Noah and the total security in which he, his family and the animals would be kept is confirmed by the fact that it was God who closed the door of the ark before the devastating flood commenced.
The category of Christians represented by Noah display the characteristics of the church in Philadelphia in a number of ways. This unique company of believers love one another and are being joined and built together in love. Jesus Himself also commends them that they have ‘kept His word and have not denied His name’. These ones are devoting themselves to hearing and obeying His every word and they are relying wholly on the saving power of Jesus, not only to save from sin but to keep them through all the challenges and trials of their human life.
As their name implies, they willingly receive all those in whom is the Spirit of the Living God. Because of their love and unbreakable unity the Lord assures them that even those who would oppose them will acknowledge that they are loved by God. He also gives them a great promise namely; that He will keep them ‘from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth’. Revelation 3:10. After the flood there will be only one severe testing that will come upon the whole earth and that surely will be the ‘great tribulation’.
The Lord gives them one admonition and informs them of the reward that is already theirs, ‘I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown’. Because they are the church of God’s choice and His divine pleasure is upon them the only danger that faces them is that they may lose their crown.
The category of Christians represented by Lot is significantly different. They are more representative of the members of the church in Sardis. To this church the Lord says, ‘I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God’. Revelation 3:1-2.
These ones are ineffective and powerless to stand against or influence the evil elements all around them. Like righteous Lot they are vexed by much that they encounter day by day. They have received the righteousness of God on the basis of faith but are compromised because they are not separated from the world. At the same time, they are uncomfortable with it. In this condition they are drifting along hoping to survive until God mercifully will take them to their eternal home.
Stage 2.
Following the Bible study I went to meet a friend and brother for lunch. I recounted the insights I had received earlier and, as I did so, I received more insights from the Lord. It was shown me that these two categories of Christians have separate destinies in terms of the coming/parousia of the Lord.
The Noah category of believers whom the Holy Spirit has been building together in love, and who have actively participated in God’s building process, will be taken up before the great tribulation and thus be included in ‘the upward call of God’ which the apostle Paul aspired to. See Philippians 3:14.
Those of the Lot category of believers who are alive at that time will not be taken up. They will remain on the earth during the great tribulation. At the close of this fearful period of 3½ years those who have survived martyrdom will be plucked out from the final outpouring of the wrath of God upon this earth.
Stage 3
Later in the evening I was contemplating this topic and was shown there was yet more. I was given to see why there are two aspects of overcoming that are essential to achieving the Lord’s purpose. The love and unity required to build must be matched with ‘wrestling against the principalities and powers’ that will do their utmost to hinder or destroy the work of building.
In order to understand this, reference must be made to Nehemiah 4:17-18. Those who were rebuilding the wall and those who carried burdens took their load with one hand doing the work and the other holding a weapon. As for the builders, each wore his sword girded at his side as he built. I had realized for many years that there were two categories of believers who will be kept from the great tribulation; those of the church of Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7-13) and those who overcame the great red dragon, Satan, ‘by the blood of the Lamb, the word of their testimony and who did not love their life even unto death’. Revelation 12.
I now realized that the wall builders have two functions; building unitedly together and, at the same time, being constantly watchful to resist the assaults of the enemy. Under Nehemiah’s oversight the wall of Jerusalem did indeed get completed and the gates were hung. The fact that the overcomers in the church in Philadelphia have ‘the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem’ written upon them shows that their building assignment will succeed also and the enemy, Satan, will be successfully held at bay.
So it seems that the Philadelphians will be included among those who comprise the male child who will be caught up to the throne of God. It is important to note that included within the male child will be all the other overcoming saints of all the ages back to Adam. The common thread that binds all these overcomers together is that they have gained the victory over Satan.
Conclusion
As the seven years of tribulation draw ever nearer, members of God’s family must choose either to
- Be, or become, united with other believers who are engaged in the building work which will lead ultimately to the New Jerusalem. At the same time standing and dealing with the machinations and assaults of Satan or.
- Simply tolerate or compromise with those around them who know not Christ and hope for divine rescue before events become too bad.
There will be two outcomes depending on the choice made
- Taken up to the throne of God as the male child. *Preserved from the coming great tribulation to emerge onto a restored earth to reign with Jesus for a thousand years or
- Spend a thousand years in outer darkness in order to buy that extra portion of the oil of the Holy Spirit that they failed to purchase during their lifetime
“Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done….I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” Revelation 22:12,16.
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